Pro-Muslim parties could trouble Congress

TNN | Updated: Mar 3, 2018, 6:16 IST

BENGALURU: Two pro-Muslim parties — Hyderabad-based All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the newly launched All-India Mahila Empowerment Party (AIMEP) — are hoping to make a splash in these assembly elections. The parties are particularly eyeing a few segments in Bengaluru and the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. The parties, which hope to put up a strong fight in constituencies where they believe Muslim votes will be decisive, are in talks for an alliance with the JD(S). “The intention is to unite secular forces regionally against the national parties,” HD Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and JD(S) state president, told TOI. “We are open to including AIMIM and AIMEP into our alliance. If all goes well, we will field candidates from these parties in a few segments.” The JD(S) has already forged alliances with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Muslim voters account for 14% of the electorate and will have a significant impact in about 45 constituencies of the total 224 assembly seats. While both Congress and the JD(S) are eyeing this vote bank, the latter seems to have gained an edge over the ruling party by reaching out to the pro-Muslim parties. “Alliance talks are progressing well and we will have clarity about seat sharing formula in a couple of days,” AIMIM state president Osman Ghani said, while Asaduddin Owaisi, the party’s national president said they are looking to field candidates in at least 60 assembly seats. While the AIMIM is hoping to win a couple of seats in Bengaluru, it is bargaining with JD(S) to field its candidates in Chamarajpet, Shivajinagar, Hebbal and Sarvagnanagar among others. Chamrajpet is in focus since incumbent MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan, once a close Kumaraswamy aide and now expelled from JD(S), is likely to seek re-election as a Congress candidate. “The AIMIM wants to field its candidates in the seats including Chamarajpet and Shivajinagar,” Kumaraswamy said. “While the proposal is being actively considered, we are weighing our options given that we want to win Chamarajpet at all costs.” Some in the JD(S) want the party to tread carefully since the AIMIM has acquired a communal tag over the years, thanks to rabble-rousing speeches of its leaders, especially Owaisi.

The AIMEP, meanwhile, is already making some waves by virtue of its media advertisements and public rallies. The party was registered with the Election Commission only in November 2017. Nowhera Shaik, a businesswoman from Hyderabad and president of the party, is spearheading its campaign in Karnataka. While the JD(S) is trying to draw MEP into its alliance, Rekha Naiker, Bagalkot district president of AIMEP, said it was too early to talk about an alliance. Many political analysts say the two parties may have been planted by the BJP to split Muslim votes. But Owaisi said: “Such speculation is rubbish. We are as keen as the BJP or Congress to win elections.”